The Burning of the Green Man
This summer we visited the Brecon Beacons in Wales for the Green Man Festival which ended with a symbolic burning of the Green Man. I decided to use this event for my narrative picture essay as it is an celebration which follows a sequence of events.
Belief in Wales is that the Green Man is the God of vegetation who is born in the spring, makes love in summer and is slain at harvest. Death for the Green Man is a release of his spirit, enabling him to sleep through winter and re-enter nature’s vegetation in the spring. If his spirit weren’t released, this would be the death of nature’s cycle so the burning ceremony represents a wish for healthy crops and prosperity.
Throughout the weekend, festival goers are invited to write wishes on pieces of card which are then attached to the Green Man. The idea is that the wishes are burned along with the Green Man and released with his spirit; the process represents closure and new beginnings.
As the weekend came to a close, the writing of wishes had become so popular that soon, all the cards were used up and people began writing on the block work frame of the statue. As the evening came closer, people were moved to safety as explosives technicians, fire officers and safety personnel made final preparations.
Darkness fell and the Green Man was finally lit; hundreds of people watched him burn as fireworks fizzed in the night sky. When all that was left was a flicker of flames, onlookers returned to their tents, hoping for fresh starts and for their wishes to come true.
The Green Man standing tall and proud
A wise old face
Expressing wishes and future dreams
Using all available space
Amber’s wish
Future dreams waiting to be released
Explosives experts get to work
Safety teams step up
Crowd control
A final goodbye and an explosive cloak
Celebrations begin
The wise old face fades away
Burning block work wishes
Watching wishes winding upwards
Green Man dwarfed by the night sky
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